Selvage loop cutting mechanism



A ril 29, 1952 w. N. HADLEY 2,594,919

SELVAGE LOOP CUTTING MECHANISM Filed July 11, 1950 I 2 SHEETSSHEET 112301223303 Wfled ZVIH'aoliay, MY

April 29, 5 w. N. HADLEY 2,594,919

SELVAGE LOOP CUTTING MECHANISM Filed July 11, 1950 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 o oo o o o o o o o 0 V OOOOOOOOOOOIOOOQ o o o o o l o R f I O O Ioooooooooooooooo 0 Q o 1 A o o \0 o o o, 0 0 o o o 40 V 0 v H n o H o IO A-wz fewezzofl: M'Zffled MHadiey,

ii'fo megs Patented Apr. 29,. 1952 SELVAGE LOOP CUTTING MECHANISMlVilfred N. Hadley, Springfield, Vt., assignor to Parks & WoolsonMachine 00., Springfield, Vt., a corporation of Vermont Application July11, 1950, Serial No. 173,210

Claims.

This invention relates to novel and improved mechanism .for cutting theselvage loops on woven fabrics as the fabric is fed longitudinally inopen width and taut condition. The primary object of the inventionresides in an improved and simplified loop cutting mechanism andimproved mounting therefor whereby the mechanism can be conveniently andaccurately adjusted relative to the selvage to be treated.

The loop cutting mechanism embodies a plurality of loop cuttingknivescarried in spaced relation on and along an endless supporting member andmy improved mounting includes a bracket for supporting the mechanismoutwardly of the selvage for angular adjustment toward and away from thefabric and also at an acute angle to the selvage, thus facilitating theloop cutting operation and reducing any danger of damaging the fabric,all as hereinafter more specifically described.

The loop cutting mechanism preferably employs two like units disposed atopposite faces of the fabric with each unit embodying an endless chainhaving loop cutting knives integral with spaced links thereof. Thechains are mounted to cross the selvage at an acute angle and are alsoinclined away from the fabric inwardly of the selvage. These featurestogether with an inclined disposition of the knives, all as hereinafterdescribed, being adapted more efficiently to perform the loop cuttingoperation with a minimum of danger to the fabric.

These and other features of the invention will be more readilyunderstood and appreciated from the following detailed description of apreferred embodiment thereof selected for purposes of illustration andshown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary elevation of my improved loop cutting mechanismmounted in operative position on a cloth guiding machine,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on line 2--2 ofFig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side elevation of the loop cutting knives shownin Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is an enlarged elevation of the loop cutting units taken on line5-4 of Fig. l, and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view of the fabric to be treated.

As illustrated in Fig. l, a strip of fabric i0 is supported forlongitudinal movement downwardly in open width and taut condition. Apair of swing guiders l2 mounted on a rail H3 is provided forautomatically maintaining the fabric in a predetermined path. The swingguiders are carried by heads l6 movable across the fabric equally and inopposite directions by ascrew l8, and are also described in my copendingapplication Serial No. 172,315, filed July 6, 1950.

My improved selvage loop cutting mechanism is mounted on a bracket 23illustrated in Fig. 1 as carried by one of' the heads l6 and extendingoutwardly to a position outside of one margin of the fabric to. The loopcutting mechanism, as illustrated in Figs. 2-4, comprises two like unitsmounted to operate respectively at the two faces of the fabric. Theunits are mounted on the free end of the bracket 20 and each includes anarm 22 mounted on the bracket for adjustment about an axis 24 disposedsubstantially parallel with the plane of the fabric. Each arm 22includes an outer portion 26 adjustable longitudinally and secured inadjusted position by a clamping bolt at 28.

Each loop cutting unit also includes an endless link chain 30 supportedon sprockets 32 and 34. The sprocket 32 is carried by the adjustable armportion 26 and sprocket 3 1 is carried and driven by a motor 36supported in a U-shaped frame 38 mounted on the arm 22, the motor beingin axial alignment with the pivot axis 24. Loop cutting knives 40 arecarried by the chains and, in accordance with the preferred embodimentof my invention, these knives are integral parts of spaced links 42along the chains.

The fabric travels downwardly in the direction of the arrow and the loopcutting units are mounted to dispose the chains 30 at an acute angleacross the margin of the fabric in the arrangement illustrated inFig. 1. The loop cutting knives 48 are also inclined in one directionlaterally of the plane in which the chain travels, the inclination beingin the direction of fabric travel as illustrated in Fig. 2.

As illustrated more particularly in Fig. 4, each sprocket 32 is carriedon one arm 44 of a bell crank pivoted at 45 to the arm portion 26. Theother arm 4'6 of each bell. crank is engaged by a tension spring 48which pulls the bell crank in a direction tensioning the chain.

The bracket 26 together with the mounting at 25 disposes the loopcutting units at the acute angle shown in Fig. 1 wherein the innerreaches of the chains 3 0 travel in the general direction of the clothrather than in an opposing direction, thereby reducing any possibilityof damaging the cloth. The pivotal mounting at 24 permits adjustment ofthe units to the position illustrated in Fig. 4 wherein the innerreaches of the chains 30 closely approach the fabric at the selvage andincline outwardly away from the face of the fabric inwardly of theselvage. As thus positioned, the outwardly moving cutters will bearslightly against the travelling fabric at the selvage and thus moreeffectively catch the loops. Furthermore, the inclination of the cutters40 in the direction of fabric travel (Fig. 2) further reduces theliability of the points to penetrate and damage the cloth.

Having thus disclosed my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patcut is:

1. A selvage loop cutting mechanism for use on a machine embodyin meansfor supporting and moving a strip of cloth longitudinally in open widthand taut condition along a plane predetermined path, comprising abracket adapted to be carried by the machine in position disposing afree end portion thereof outwardly of one margin of said path, an arm onthe free end portion of the bracket outwardly of said margin, a motorcarried by the arm, a sprocket on the motor shaft outwardly of saidmargin, a second sprocket carried by the arm inwardly of said margin, anendless chain supported on the sprockets and having one reach disposedadjacent to and extending across said margin, a plurality of spaced loopcutting knives carried by the chain, and means securing the arm to thebracket for adjustment in directions moving the said one reach towardand from said margin.

2. The selvage loop cutting mechanism defined in claim 1 in which saidloop cutting knives are inclined in one direction laterally of thechain.

3. The selvage loop cutting mechanism defined in claim 1 in which thechain includes links and the loop cutting knives are integral withspaced links along the chain.

4. A selvage loop cutting mechanism for use on a machine embodying meansfor supporting and moving a strip of cloth longitudinally in open widthand taut condition along a plane predetermined path, comprising asupport disposed outwardly of one margin of said path, two rotaryelements carried by the support respectively at opposite sides of saidmargin, an endless band looped about and carried by said elements, aplurality of spaced loop cutting knives carried by and extendingoutwardly beyond the outer face of the band, and power means for drivingthe elements andband, one reach of the band being in a plane slightlyinclined to the plane of said path and having the knives thereofdisposed in said path at said margin and spaced progressively furtheraway therefrom inwardly of the margin.

5. The selvage loop cutting mechanism defined in claim 1 in which themechanism carried by the bracket is disposed at one side of the plane ofsaid path, and like mechanism carried by the bracket at the other sideof said plane.

WILFRED N. HADLEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

